Opening of the Advanced Microchip Design Course at the Microchip Design Center in NIC Hoà Lạc.

On December 11, at the National Innovation Center NIC – Hoà Lạc branch (NIC Hoà Lạc), the National Innovation Center (NIC) in collaboration with Cadence Corporation and Sun Edu Company organized the inauguration ceremony for the specialized training course in microchip design.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, along with other ministry leaders, witnessed the MOU signing ceremony between NIC and SUN EDU on cooperation in the field of semiconductor microcircuits.

Attending the Inauguration Ceremony were Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung; Director of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City Vu Hai Quan; Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh; Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc; Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh; Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan; Vice Chairman of Da Nang People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh; Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Anh Thi, Head of the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park; Director of National Innovation Center (NIC) Vu Quoc Huy; Vice Director of Vietnam National University Hanoi Pham Bao Son; Professor Dr. Dang Luong Mo, Senior National Advisor on Semiconductors. Also present at the ceremony were Mr. Eugene Ho, Senior Business Representative of Cadence Design System; Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh, Chairman of CMC; Mr. To Dung Thai, Chairman of VNPT; representatives of Sun Edu International Education Joint Stock Company; Mr. Truong Gia Binh, Chairman of FPT; Mr. Luu Trung Thai, Chairman of MB Bank; Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, General Director of Kinh Bac Company; and representatives of educators and scientists from over 10 universities across the country.

The Nvidia CEO signs his name on the signboard at the newly established Semiconductor Center

According to the representative of the Organizing Committee, the opening ceremony of the specialized training course on microcircuit design aims to implement the directives of the Prime Minister on developing a human resource project for the semiconductor industry for the period 2023 – 2030.

Recently, under the assignment of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the National Innovation Center has collaborated with leading organizations and technology corporations in the global semiconductor industry to seek resources and potential cooperation opportunities for boosting Vietnam’s semiconductor industry.

With the target set for 2030, Vietnam aims to train 50,000 semiconductor microcircuit engineers. Building and developing training centers, research institutes, and incubators focused on microcircuit design and product development is one of the top priority tasks.

The Chairman of SUN EDU and NIC introduced the Semiconductor Microcircuit Center and Cadence’s specialized training course to Nvidia’s Chairman, Jensen Huang.

Currently, the chip design training center at NIC Hoa Lac has been established under the cooperation of the National Innovation Center with major US technology partners such as Synopsys, Arizona State University, Keysight, and SUN EDU International Education Joint Stock Company – a business formed by leading Vietnamese experts with extensive experience in the semiconductor field in Silicon Valley, along with domestic partners like VNPT, Vietnam National University Hanoi, etc.

As part of the activities of the chip design training center, the specialized training course on Microcircuit Design (Digital Design – Custom IC Training) is implemented by the National Innovation Center in collaboration with Cadence Corporation and SUN EDU Company. It is targeted at university lecturers in the Hanoi area and engineers at technology companies, aiming to enhance their microcircuit design skills. The course, spanning four weeks from December 9, 2023, to January 26, 2024, at NIC Hoa Lac and NIC Hanoi, will focus on guiding and training in Digital Design techniques using Cadence’s renowned Innovus microcircuit design software, offering lecturers the opportunity to master and apply modern knowledge in their teaching and research endeavors.

The program was developed with strong support from the top experts at Cadence Corporation, one of the world’s leading brands in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) and microcircuit design. Notably, the program includes participation from instructors from Arizona State University (ASU), a top 10 prestigious university in the United States, with experts having extensive knowledge and long-term experience in semiconductor integrated circuits. This training course will focus on technical guidance and training in Digital Design on Cadence’s renowned Innovus microcircuit design software, providing an opportunity for instructors to master and apply modern knowledge in teaching and research.

Mr. Michael Shih, Vice President responsible for business in the Asia Pacific and Japan regions at Cadence Design Systems, stated: “We are committed to nurturing the next generation of innovators and technologists, as well as contributing to microcircuit design education in Vietnam through our ongoing partnership with NIC. The Train-the-Trainer Program (ToT) is a part of our collaboration with NIC to foster innovation in microcircuit design in Vietnam. With knowledge of essential skills and practical experience, these instructors can train pioneering talents for the future workforce in the semiconductor industry.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Planning and Investment, Nguyen Chi Dung, emphasized that Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategy for 2021-2030 identifies the development of high technology, particularly the semiconductor industry, as a breakthrough area for development and an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to deeply engage in the global value chain. Following the directives of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in coordination with related agencies and businesses, has developed a project to develop human resources for the semiconductor industry with the goal of training 50,000 semiconductor microcircuit engineers by 2030, including an estimated 15,000 chip design engineers.

The Minister of Planning and Investment, Nguyen Chi Dung, and Chairman Jensen Huang, along with leaders from different ministries, sectors, and local authorities, took a commemorative photograph.

The Minister of Planning and Investment emphasized that the Ministry has now assigned NIC to carry out collaborative activities and establish connections with major domestic and international corporations to explore potential opportunities for enhancing Vietnam’s internal capabilities in the semiconductor industry. As per Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, during the Prime Minister of Vietnam’s visit to the United States in September 2023, NIC signed significant cooperation agreements with American partners such as Cadence, Arizona State University, and Synopsys to develop training centers, research, and incubators for the design and development of semiconductor products.

“Organizing training programs for instructors is an initial priority for the implementation of comprehensive training activities at universities and training institutions. Today, with the support of Cadence – the world’s number one corporation in providing microcircuit design tools, we are launching a specialized training course on Microcircuit Design for university lecturers in the Hanoi area and engineers at technology companies who wish to enhance their microcircuit design capabilities, thereby applying modern knowledge in teaching and research processes. This program reflects the commitment of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Vietnamese Government in improving the quality of human resources to meet the demands and stringent requirements of the global semiconductor industry’s innovation ecosystem, particularly in Vietnam,” stressed the Minister of Planning and Investment.

At the opening ceremony, a ceremony was also held to award certificates for the support of software copyrights for semiconductor design from Cadence Corporation to educational institutions in Vietnam.

On this occasion, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung and Chairman Jensen Huang, along with other delegates, also attended the opening ceremony and witnessed the signing of an MOU between NIC and SUN EDU for training, consultancy support, and professional guidance in the fields of electronics, semiconductor microcircuits, and related technologies, contributing to the development of human resources for Vietnam’s semiconductor industry and promoting innovative activities. The inauguration and MOU signing ceremony also saw the presence of Mr. Seow Choo Han, Business Director for Southeast Asia at Cadence System Design; Professor Dr. Dang Luong Mo, Senior National Advisor on Semiconductors; Mr. Nguyen Anh Thi, Head of the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park Management Board; Mr. Nguyen Quoc Trung, Deputy Manager of Hoa Lac High-Tech Park; representatives from SUN EDU Company, and educators and scientists from over 10 universities.